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Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
Jon Robinson

Wigan Athletic sold to billionaire Mike Danson

Wigan Athletic have been sold to a company backed by billionaire Mike Danson.

The League One club had previously been owned by a consortium led by Bahraini businessman Abdulrahman Al-Jasmi since they were rescued from administration in March 2021.

The announcement comes after the owners of Wigan announced they had agreed to sell the club earlier this month.

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In a statement published on their website, the club added that all "requisite clearances have been obtained" from the English Football League and that a new board, along with a chief executive, will be announced "in due course".

Wigan also confirmed that funds have been paid into the club to cover all outstanding debts and all players and staff "will be paid immediately, along with other creditors".

Mr Danson owns part of rugby league club Wigan Warriors and founded online information company Datamonitor in 1990. The business floated on the London Stock Exchange 10 years later and was sold in 2007 to Informa for over £500m.

The businessman then co-founded data analytics and consulting company GlobalData. He currently serves as its chief executive.

Mr Danson said: "I am delighted to become involved in Wigan Athletic Football Club. I was born in Wigan, I grew up locally and the community of the town is close to my heart.

"I want to recognise that the club has a hugely important part to play in the local community, not just for players, but for fans, employees and all its suppliers, business partners and numerous community groups.

"We have worked hard to provide the EFL with a realistic financial plan to stabilise operations. We look forward to a fresh start for the club and planning for the upcoming season.

"Many community and club representatives including Lisa Nandy MP, David Molyneux, executive leader of Wigan Council and Alison McKenzie-Folan CEO of Wigan Council, along with the Official Wigan Athletic Supporters Club and the EFL, have worked extremely hard to bring about a positive conclusion to the club’s recent troubles.

"Wigan Athletic and its fans have had a lot of uncertainty over recent years and the most important thing now is to give all stakeholders the opportunity to focus on the season ahead."

Wigan will start the 2023/24 League One season on minus eight points after twice failing to pay wages on time.

BusinessLive recently reported that Wigan's turnover totalled £8.3m for the 12 months to June 30, 2022, while they made a pre-tax loss of £7.6m.

Wigan Athletic first team manager Shaun Maloney added: "This news is fantastic for everyone associated with the football club and the town of Wigan.

"I want to pay thanks to Mr Danson and his team for all their hard work and perseverance. His vision and passion for the community have resonated strongly with all of us.

"I also want to pay tribute to the staff, supporters and of course, the players that have stuck with us through one of the club's most difficult times.

"We are all extremely confident of a sustainable and stable future and we are now excited to prepare for the 2023/24 season and beyond."

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